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ξύλο

wood /ˈksi.lo/

nounA2#986 most common

Also: a piece of wood, a beating (colloquial)

Example sentences

Το τραπέζι είναι από ξύλο.
The table is made of wood.
Βάλε λίγο ξύλο στη φωτιά.
Put some wood on the fire.
Ο μπαμπάς μου φτιάχνει έπιπλα από ξύλο.
My dad makes furniture out of wood.
Αν συνεχίσεις έτσι, θα φας ξύλο.
If you keep this up, you'll get a beating.
Το εξοχικό είναι χτισμένο εξ ολοκλήρου από ξύλο καστανιάς.
The country house is built entirely of chestnut wood.
Όπως λέει η παροιμία, το ξύλο βγήκε από τον παράδεισο.
As the proverb goes, the rod came out of paradise.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeτο ξύλοτα ξύλα
Genitiveτου ξύλουτων ξύλων
Accusativeτο ξύλοτα ξύλα
Vocativeξύλοξύλα

Word family

ξύλινοςwooden, made of wood
ξυλείαtimber, lumber
ξυλουργόςcarpenter
ξυλιάa blow with a stick
ξυλοκοπώto beat with a stick, to thrash

Etymology

Ξύλο comes from Ancient Greek ξύλον, meaning wood or timber. The word already carried a secondary sense of a wooden stick or cudgel in antiquity, which is the root of its modern colloquial use for a beating. Its origin before Ancient Greek is not securely established, so no reliable Indo-European root can be given.

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